Video: Leonard Cohen, The Poet, Documentary

While Leonard Cohen, of course, didn’t begin his to-be-legendary career as a songwriter until his early 30s, the Montreal born artist was an accomplished and relatively renowned poet/novelist at a young age. This 1965 documentary is a fascinating record of the time, just before he set out on a musical foray that would begin one of the best solo debut LPs of all time, Songs of Leonard Cohen, two years later.

After beginning with a funny speech, the film’s narrator offers this priceless introduction:

“Out of the crowds of Montreal has come a singular talent, with four books under his belt and a growing reputation. He is not primarily a standup comic, but a novelist, a poet, and a very confident young man.”

Watch Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Leonard Cohen, which, incidentally, dates back to the same period as the great Bob Dylan documentary Don’t Look Back, above.